Transformers: War for Cybertron - Review

Transformers: War for Cybertron - War for Survival

When I heard that a new game is developed on the universe of Transformers tears and began to ask out. Because you know that the 2 games based on the films of Michael Bay came out let's just say nothing. Rushing around on a plastic city and throwing robots in fellow machines was.... not very fun. And looking who develops the game my suspicions that the next shoddy game will come out even more strengthened. The game was developed by High Moon Studios, an American company, which is known only for more or less normal shooter Darkwatch. Further list of its achievements did not impress me at all. But as a fan of its gaming universe, I've been waiting for the release of Transformers: War for Cybertron and had to pass it. Did High Moon Studios succeed in making another cow, or another beautiful and interesting game we're going to find out now.


A return to the classics, or?

Judging by the fact what turned out of the "Michael Bay" Transformers Activision decided to sponsor a project that would run away from the previous Transformers series game like a cat from a dog. Namely, it was decided not to create an arcade game, but a full-fledged third-person action game. And with the Earth Wars was done away with. The action has moved to Cybertron - a native planet of robots, which is a lot talked about in the movies, but no one has seen her specifically. This mechanical, gigantic planet is mentioned only visually in the anime series. And the events in the game even predate the beginning of the anime series. The Autobots and Decepticons are mostly unfamiliar with each other and the planet Cybertron is not yet a cold piece of metal, which gave the game an advantage as it reveals some secrets, just like the movie and the anime. All in all, Activision focused on the classic series rather than the movies.

Holy Trinity.

In the game we again play for the Decepticons, or Autobots, but now the company is divided in half for good and for evil so to speak. But as the Autobots are portrayed as patriotic and fair-minded, the Decepticons are portrayed as very charismatic and even tragic characters, which is achieved through in-game cut-scenes on the game engine and conversations between the robots during the missions. We now control real, living (relatively), and sentient characters, rather than the metal dummies we had before. Now, at the beginning of missions, you get to choose one of three mechanical giants, changing from mission to mission. (Only the bosses Optimus and Megatron are unchanged.) Many will be pleased to see familiar faces and be able to play as them. In terms of missions the game is not original, we run, open doors, solve simple logic puzzles, and send a lot of scrap metal our opponents. But fortunately the monotony of gameplay diluted missions where you can fly with a beautiful view of Cybertron, or in the best tradition of the series "Escape" to escape from prison, and what is the fight with a deadly giant robot transforming into a dragon!!! What was surprising, the game appeared STELS-missions!!! Of course the enemy AI does not shine with its cunning, but at least he had learned to hide behind cover that does not make enemies targets for shooting. Weapons we have enough here, and shotguns and submachine guns and portable turrets and flares and sniper rifles. All this splendor comes with cyberpunk style and an abundance of ammunition scattered throughout the levels. Unfortunately, only 2 types of weapons and grenades can be carried, plus a huge melee weapon, which is unique to each character (a giant battle axe Optimus is great). Character classes are divided into 3 categories. They are scout, soldier and scientist. Each has their own initial type of weaponry and skills. And the skills here are limited by speed up or high jumps, so you don't need to choose one. Robokillers transform into that equipment, which was inherent in them in the anime, and can fight as a humanoid, and in the form of a tank or something like that.


The Cold Beauty of Space

Now, since Cybertron has no earthly buildings and everything is designed for giants, we don't see a giant war machine, but an ordinary fighting robot. The game's scenery is really magnificent. Of course, here you will not see a variety of levels, as all such is a mechanical planet, but how everything is designed!!! Ah, these bas-reliefs and pipes, these stately columns and multi-story buildings. Unreal Engine 3 graphics engine gives maximum power along with great optimization.


Symphony of sound

We should separately mention the voice acting. In the new Transformers Russian voice acting is above all praise, and in no way inferior to the foreign. Robots speak in the well-established voices of professional actors, and Optimus spoke in the same voice that voiced him in the movie. You can feel the emotional mood of the characters. Every sound in the game is realistic, be it a drop of water falling from the ceiling or a metallic clang of the robots' joints. Everything is as it should be. By the way the voices of transformation are taken from the original series.

And with friends is more fun.

Now let us talk about multiplayer. No matter how good the company is, it is completely different when passing it in co-op for 3 people. We have already seen in Borderlands that any game becomes much more interesting with alive people. And Transformers transforms so much, that there is even the tactics and planning. Also included are 3 standard multiplayer modes (Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag) and Escalation, where you together with your friends have to repel wavy attacks of enemies (we have already seen in Alien vs Predator).


The end is the end.

We ended up with a "non-Michaelbay" action game with quick firefights and fast-paced playthroughs (which saves the game from being annoying). With beloved characters and great voice acting. Have a chance to crack the head of an enemy with a megaboom and watch him, scattering sparks, going to mechanical hell. Get the most out of the engine without lags and bugs. This is an action game designed not only for fans of the universe, but for the average gamer. I personally enjoyed the passing of the game. Well done High Moon Studios, keep it up.